Pulley with punched bracket



eb- 1 5 c. w. KIN SMAN 2,873,091

PULLEY WITH PUNCHED BRACKET Filed Oct. 29, 1957 INVENTOR. CLHRENCE N K/NSMHN ing;

with a pulley wheel mounted thereon.

Unit a nt 2,873,091 I PULLEY wrrrr PUNCHED BRACKET Clarence W. Kinsman, New York, Y. Application October 29, 1957, Serial No. is9s, 14s

9 Claims. or. 254-491 i a The invention relates to a check pulley deviceby means of which a cord may be locked in any position in its length by a clamping pulley. The invention also relates to a free running pulley device which does not have the locking feature. More particularly the invention is directed to a bracket for the pulley which is inexpensive to manufacture and is punched from sheet material. Such pulleys are commonly used in connection with the pull cord attached to window shades which arerolled up by a spring. In order to retain such shade in partially or fully drawn position, a locking orcheck pulley is provided. Sometimes because of window frame constructions, a free pulley also may be used. The invention is also directed to a method of making a bracket for a pulley device. The pulley devices have other uses as well as with respect to a spring wound shade.

It is an object of the invention to construct a pulley device of the free running or checking type pulley having a bracket which is inexpensively manufactured from sheet material. v

Another object of the invention is to construct a pulley device of the checking or free running pulley type with a bracket which is inexpensive to 'manufacture from sheet material and enables the pulley to be used in two or more positions as desired.

A still further object of the invention is to construct an inexpensive free running or checking type-pulley'device with a bracket punched from sheet material and constructed so that. a shorter length of pulley may be used.

Another object is to provide a new and novel method of forming a bracket for a pulley device from'sheet material. 7

Other objects of the invention will be more apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred constructions thereof in which Fig. l is a plan view of the bracket blank prior to bend- Fig. 2 is a front view of the bracket in bent form;

Fig. 3 is a front view of thecheck pulley device the check wheel mounted on the bracket;

Fig. 4 is an end view of'the check pulley device;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the bracket blank before bending for a free running pulley device; and

Fig. 6 is a front view of a free running pulley device with The bracket blank 10 has four suitable holes 11 provided therein for receiving screws by means of two of which the pulley or bracket is secured to a surrounding structure such as a window frame. The bracket has a bending axis 12, shown as mid-way between its edges, and along which axis the blank is bent to provide a bracket with two bases at right angles with respect to each other. The bases are integral with each other along a connecting edge formed by the bending axis.. Two screw holes 11 are provided in each base.

The blank also shows an ear 15 punched from one base on three sides thereof, one edge of which-preferice ably corresponds with the bending axis 12. This car has a bending axis 16 at its outer or fourth side or edge at right angles to the bending axis 12 whiclrear when bent outwardly at right angles to its base will also be at right angles to the other base and adjacent thereto or having an edge substantially in contact with the base. A second ear 17 is similarly punched from the other base and having one edge at or adjacent the bending axis 12. This ear has a bending axis 18 on its fourth or outer side at right angles to the bending axis 12 so that when this ear is bent outwardly this ear will also be at right angles to its own base as well as the other base with an edge adjacent to or in substantial contact therewith. The edge of each ear corresponding with its bending axis provides an edge integral with its base.

Each car has a hole 19 for receiving a pulley pin. The holes are so located that when both ears are bent outwardly and the bracket bent on its bending axis 12, the holes 19 will be in alignment and will be equidistant from both of the bases. It is economical in material though not necessary if each hole is located in the corresponding corner of each ear which are opposite corners as appearing in the blank bracket of Fig. I. It will also be noted that by providing one ear on each base, that the ears may overlap so that when bent outwardly their spacing may be less than if the ears had been bent outwardly from one base. This enables a pulley of shorter length to be used. Another important feature in the construction of the bracket is that there is a portion 20 of each base which overlaps the ear carried by the other base at the bending axis. This overlapping portion forms a locking land, surface or flange adjacent and overlapping one end of the pulley for clamping and locking the cord between a locking or check pulley and the land or surface. The locking flange is formed when the dimension between the integral edge of each ear to the opposite edge is less than the spacing between the ears when bent or less than the spacing between integral edges. In the fully bent bracket the land of one base will be adjacent the bent up ear 17 carried by the other base and the other land will be similarly adjacent to the other ear 15. When the ears are bent, an opening 23 is provided in one base and a corresponding opening is provided in the other base of the bracket. These apertures or openings form one opening when the adjacent edges of each ear in the blank form are on the bending axis 12.

If desired each ear may be welded or brazed to the other base such as by a weld 24 which may be at a spot only. If the bracket is of heavy enough sheet material such welding is not necessary but may be desirable. For lighter or thinner sheet material the weld increases the rigidity of the bracket by anchoring each ear firmly to the other base and also more firmly anchoring the two bases together against bending. In addition each ear is anchored or secured against the possibility of being bent out of a right angle position with respect to its own and the other base.

With the bracket and ears bent as shown in Fig. 2, a pulley such as the locking pulley 27' is mounted between the ears on a pin 28 passing through the holes 19 in the ears and the pulley. The ends of the pin are headed to retain the pin and pulley wheel on the ears. The check or lock pulley has a central groove 29 for free running of the pulley and one, or more locking grooves 30 on each side extending angularly from the free running central groove. These anchor or locking grooves have a larger diameter adjacent the edge of the pulley so that when a cord is pulled to the side or" the central groove 29 the cord is clamped between the anchor groove 30 and the locking or check land 20. Usually two or more angular anchoring grooves are provided extending angularly towards at least one edge of the pulley and preferably tosary to provide a locking land, or surface or fiange carried,

by the bracket-nor is it necessary to have a wide pulley wheel with angularly directed locking grooves. For a free rotating pulley, a blank 33 as shown in Fig. may be used. This blank has a central bending axis 34 preferably mid-way between two sides and along which bending axis the blank is bent with one portion at right angles to the other forming two bases. The connecting edge of the bases are integral along the bending axis. In this construction, an car 35 is provided in one base, one side of which preferably is coextensive with or on the bending axis 34 and a fourth side providing an edge integral with its base along a bending axis 36. The other base is provided with a similar ear 37 having one side on the bending axis 34 and a fourth side providing a bending axis 38. The bending axes or integral edge of each ear with its base are at opposite ends of the ears as viewed in the blank.

When the ears are bent to project at right angles with respect to its base, and the blank is bent along its bending axis 34 to provide two bases at right angles to each other, two parallel ears are provided which extend at right angles to both bases and with the side of each car which is coextensive with or adjacent with the bending axis 34 being in contact with or adjacent to the other base. These ears may similarly be welded or brazed to the other base by a weld 24. The bearing holes 19 for the pulley pin are so located that they come into alignment when the ears are bent outwardly and the blank, is bent along the bending axis 34 to form the bracket. It will be noted that in this blank the two cars are in side by side alignment and with each bending axis 36 and 38 in alignment with the edge of the other ear or the side of the opening left by the ear although such alignment is not necessary. With the ears of the same dimensions as those of Fig. 1 and with full overlap, the ears are not as widely spaced when bent at right angles to the bases along their respective bending axis or integral edge. The spacing, however, is sufiicient to receive a narrow free rotating pulley or wheel 40 having a groove 41 for receiving a cord. If longer cars should be desired to accommodate a larger diameter pulley, each car may be longer from its connected edge to the opposite edge than the spacing between ears or between their integral edges or bending axes. For a relatively narrow spacing between ears the dimension of each ear between its integral or connecting edge and the opposite edge is at least equal to the spacing between the integral edges of the ears.

The pulley wheel is mounted between the ears on a pin 42 which passes through the center of the wheel and through the holes 19 in the arms. The ends of the pin are headed to retain the pin and pulley or wheel on the ears. Since an ear is bent up from each base of the bracket there is an opening or aperture 43 in each base in alignment with the periphery of the wheel or the groove in the wheel on that side of the wheel. which is adjacent the base. This permits a cord to pass therethrough so that this pulley may be used with a cord passing in three ways and to be mounted on either base to supporting structure such as a part of the window frame. The opening in each base, when the adjacent edges of the ears in the blank are coextensive, merge to form a single opening.

Another advantage is available in the construction illustrated in that should a smaller diameter cord be used or a cord has stretched or worn to a smaller size so that an insecure grip or locking results in the check pulley, it is a simple matter to bend the land inwardly sufficiently to secure a tight clamping of the cord.

In order to have the bearing means or hole 19 of one ear come into alignment with the bearing means or hole in the other ear when bent as described, each hole must be located equidistant from the base bending axis 12 or 34 and the connecting edge of the ear or its respective bending axis with its base.

This invention is presented to fill a need for improvements in a Pulley With Punched Bracket. It is understood that various modifications in structure, as well as changes in mode of operation, assembly, and manner of use, may and often do occur to those skilled in the art, especially after benefiting from the teachings of an invention. This disclosure illustrates the, preferred means of embodying the invention in useful form.

What is claimed is:

l. A bracket for a pulley device of the check or free running type comprising two bases extending at right angles to each other and integral along a bending axis formed by their connected edges and having side edges, an ear carried by each base and integral with its base along a bending axis formed by an edge extending at right angles to the connecting edge of the bases, each ear extending at right angles to the bases and a non-integral edge being adjacent to or in contact with the other base, the ears being spaced from and parallel to each other, each base having an opening generally central of the side edges of the base and at or adjacent the connecting edges and corresponding in shape to the ear projected therefrom, bearing means carried by each ear in alignment with eachother, and means carried by each base for securing the bracket in place.

2. A bracket as in claim 1 in which each car has a dimension from itsintegral edge to its opposite edge less than the dimension between ears and providing a locking flange adjacent the other ear.

3. A bracket as in claim 1 in which the edge of each ear adjacent to the other base is welded to the latter.

4. A bracket as in claim 1 in which each car has a dimension between its integral edge and the opposite edge at, least equal to the dimension between the integral edges of the ears.

5. A pulley device of the check or free running type comprising a bracket having two bases extending at right angles to each other and integral along a bending axis formed by their connected edges and having side edges, an

'ear carried -by each base and integral with its base along a bending axis formed by an edge extending at right angles to-the connecting edge of the bases, each ear extending at right angles to the bases and a non-integral edge being adjacent to or in contact with the other base, the ears being spaced from and parallel to each other, each-base having an opening generally central of the side edges of the base and at or adjacent the connecting edge and corresponding in shape to the ear projected therefrom, bearing means carried by each ear in alignment with each other, and means carried by each base for securing the bracket in place; and a pulley rotatably mounted on the bearing means.

-6. A pulley device as in claim 5 in which each ear has a dimension from its integral edge to its opposite edge which is less than the dimension between ears and providing a locking flange adjacent the other ear, and the pulley being a locking pulley having a central groove and at least one angularly extending groove on each side of greater diameter than the central groove.

7. Apulley device as in claim 5 in which each ear has a dimension from its integral edge to its opposite edge at least equal to the dimension between the integral edges of the ears, and the pulley having a single groove in its periphery;

8. A method of making a bracket for a pulley device of the check or free running type from a flat blank comprising punching securing means and heating means through-the blank, punching a pair of ears extending at right angles to the blank in the same direction along an 'edge integral with the blank with the integral edge of each ear being parallel and spaced from each other and with References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Boyce Nov. 15, 1927 Forse Nov. 13, 1928 Draper Oct. 18, 1932 

